I have seen a lot in this area of law; from a crushed finger in a vice to a man with a severe neck injury which ultimately led to him being medically decapitated in an effort to restore his functionality (yes, he was actually medically decapitated). I have seen a man get a pension from lifting a toolbox and blowing out his back, while a man in a multi-revolution rollover accident with lasting vision problems had his claim closed prematurely.
Details of Workers’ Comp
Of all these scenarios, one thing that I cannot understand is how employers continue to get away with the lie that if an accident is the workers’ fault, it voids that injured workers’ coverage.
It is usually innocuous at first – the injured worker comes to the boss and explains what happened. The boss says something like, “you should get that looked at, but what were you thinking?.” This makes the injured worker feel guilty, or that when they go to the ER that they cannot claim the injury as a workplace injury.
Let me just get this out there–
— Washington State Workers’ Compensation coverage is a NO FAULT system. —
This means that the fault surrounding the injury does not matter!
Of course, intentionally hurting yourself is not only dangerous and ill-advised; it may result in a loss of coverage. However, no-fault means even if you lose your fingers because you’re a really, REALLY bad fire marshal*, you are covered.
Contact Eastern Washington Workers’ Comp Attorneys
If you would like to discuss your claim, free of charge, please call our office to set up a time to meet.